Aerial projectile toy



p 1970 J. H. BENHAM 3,528,659

AERIAL PROJECTILE TOY Filed Oct. 14, 1966 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jun/w enam T S'rkrasz" A TTORNEY Sept. 15, 1970 J. H. BENHAM 3,528,659

AERIAL PROJECTILE TOY Filed Oct. 14, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rw Sarsi ATTO RNE'Y United I States Patent 3,528,659 AERIAL PROJECTILE TOY Junior H. Benham, Kirkland, Wash. (10045 NE. 17th, Bellevue, Wash. 98004) Filed Oct. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 586,894 Int. Cl. A63b 65/00 US. Cl. 273-96 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An aerial projectile propelled by a rod that has a shaft and inwardly directed flexible cups on each end. The propelling rod contacts these cups and imparts a twirling action to the projectile after it is initially started rota-ting by hand. In a modification the shaft of the projectile has a chamber near a translucent end cup and an incandescent lamp in the chamber. A battery in the chamber comes in contact with the lamp when the projectile is rotated and light is thus transmitted through the translucent end cup.

An object of this invention is to provide a toy to help develop the coordination of an individual; a further object is to provide a toy which challenges the dexterity of an individual; a still further object is to provide a toy which, when tossed and twirled into the dark, is colorful because of an illuminated incandescent lamp; another object is to provide a toy which is relatively small and easy to store; a still additional object is the provision of a toy which may appeal to people of a wide range of ages; and, another object is the provision of a toy which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other important objects and advantages of the invention will be more particularly brought forth upon reference to the accompanying drawings, the detailed specification of the invention and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of the placing of the toy on a rod prior to tossing and twirling into the air;

FIG. 2 is an illustration illustrating the toy being tossed and twirled into the air; 7

FIG. 3 is an illustration illustrating the toy being caught on a rod after being tossed and twirled into the air;

FIG. 4 is an illustration illustrating the toy about to once again be tossed and twirled into the air;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a specific embodiment of the toy constructed in accordance with the preferred teachings thereof;

FIG. 6 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 5, and on an enlarged scale, and illustrates the inside of one cup of the toy;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical crosssectional view of a portion of the toy and in particular of a portion of the shaft and the cup on the end of the shaft and shows an incandescent lamp and a source of electromotive energy for lighting said incandescent lamp;

FIG. 8 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 88 of FIG. 7 and illustrates the shaft of this toy;

FIG. 9 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 99 of FIG. 7 and illustrates a chamber for holding a battery for lighting the incandescent lamp; and,

FIG. 10 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 7 and illustrates the means for separating the incandescent lamp and the battery when the toy is not being tossed and twirled into the air.

In the drawings it is seen that there is a toy 20. This toy 20 comprises a shaft 22 and a cup 24 on each end of the shaft 22. Each of the cups 24 comprises a base 26. On the inner surface of the base 26 there is an integral boss 28. The base 26 projects outwardly into a rim having a stiff and rigid inner portion 30 and a flexible and pliable 'ice outer portion 32. It is seen that the rims, 30 and 32, overlie the boss 28 and part of the shaft 20-. In FIGS. 5 and 6 it is seen that the cup 24 is of a generally hemispherical configuration.

In FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10 there is illustrated a modification 40 of the toy. It is seen that the toy 40 comprises a shaft 42. The outer end of the shaft is drilled at 44 to provide a chamber. In the chamber there is positioned a metal container 46. The metal container 46 has a cylindrical side 48, a bottom 50 and a top 52. The metal top is flared inwardly and shaped in the form of threads at 54. There is screwed into the threads 54 an incandescent lamp 56. A soft flexible material such as a foam plastic such as polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam, and other foams may be used at 56. It is seen that 56 is in the configuration of a torus. Then, there is a battery 58, i.e., a source of electromotive force. A coil spring 60 is positioned between the bottom 50 and battery 58. The torus 56 is positioned between the inner part of the incandescent lamp 56 and the upper part of the battery 58. Naturally, the torus 56 is of a dielectric material. The container 46 is of an electricity conducting material such as a metal.

There is a cup 24 on the end of the shaft 42. The cup 24 is generally of a plastic and may be polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, or another suitable plastic having the characteristics to transmit light from the incandescent lamp 56 when the battery 58 contacts the incandescent lamp 56. The cup 24 should be of such a plastic that the inner portion 30 of the rim should be hard and rigid while the outer portion 32 of the rim should be flexible and pliable. The shafts 22 and 42 are normally of wood but may be of plastic or other suitable material.

In FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 there is illustrated one method for tossing and turning this toy. In these figures it is seen that there is a toy 70 comprising a shaft 72 and having cups 24 on each end of the shaft 72. For ease of identification, these cups will be referred to as A and B. A person with his right hand 74 holds a rod 76. Then, a person with his left hand 78 places the toy 70 on the end of the rod 76 with the cup A contacting the rod 76. In particular, the inner rim 32 or the soft pliable and flexible rim 32 of the cup A contacts the rod 76. As is seen in FIG. 1 the toy 70 is substantially horizontal.

The person with his left hand lets go of the cup B so that the toy 70 rotates downwardly similar to the rotation of a pendulum around the cup A on the rod 76. At the time the toy 70 is rotating downwardly the person with his right hand should lift up and also slightly over with the rod 76. This causes the opposite end or the cup B of the toy 70 to twirl over, as illustrated in FIG. 2 so that the rod 76 is in a position to contact the cup B and the shaft 72 prior to tossing and twirling for the next step.

Another way of proceeding is after the toy 70 is beginning to twirl the rod 76 may be retracted and the toy 70 allowed to twirl a number of times such as 2, 3 or 4 times, or maybe more, before inserting the rod 76 into the whirling plane of the toy 70 so as to reverse the direction of whirling of the toy 70.

Further, the toy 70 while whirling can be passed from person to person either when the people are facing each other or in a row.

If the toy 70 incorporates the incandescent lamp 56 and the battery 58 and the auxiliary electrical equipment, it is seen that with the rotation of the toy 70 that the centrifugal force will cause the battery 58 to move so as to compress the foam 57 and contact the incandescent lamp 56 so as to light the lamp 56. As is well appreciated with a translucent cup 24, the cup becomes bright and shows a twirling light in the air. Further, if the shaft 42 is of a translucent plastic, then the shaft 42 also becomes bright and shows a twirling light in the air. This is especially noticeable in the dark. Further, the color of the (g) each of said members having an inwardly directed rim attached to said base which rim overlies part of the shaft;

cup 24 and the color of the plastic for the shaft 42 may be the same or may be different colors so as to have a bright colored twirling light.

Having presented my invention What I claim is: 1. A toy, said toy comprising:

(h) said shaft and one of said members defining a chamber;

(a) a shaft; 5 (i) a battery in said chamber; (b) a first member near one end of the shaft; (j) an incandescent lamp positioned adjacent to said (0) said first member having a diameter of at least two battery;

times the diameter of the shaft; (k) a first means positioned between said lamp and ((1) said first member being of a flexible and pliable said battery to space apart said lamp and said batnature; tery; and (e) said first member having an inwardly directed rim (1) electrical means connecting said incandescent lamp which rim overlies part of the shaft; to said battery. (f) said shaft having a chamber; 4. A toy, said toy comprising: (g) a source of electrical energy in said chamber; (a) a shaft having a first end and a second end; (h) an incandescent lamp positioned adjacent to said (b) a first member near said first end;

source; (0) a second member near said second end; (i) a first means positioned between said lamp and said (d) each of said members having a diameter at least source to space apart said lamp and said source; and two times the diameter of the shaft; (j) electrical means connecting said incandescent lamp (e) each of said members having a base and a boss;

to said source. (f) said boss mating with the end of the shaft; 2. A toy, said toy comprising: (g) each of said members having an inwardly directed (a) a shaft having a first end and a second end; rim attached to said base which rim overlies part (b) a first member near said first end; of the shaft; and (c) a second member near said second end; (h) a rod for contacting said shaft, first member and (d) each of said members having a diameter at least said second member.

two times the diameter of the shaft; (e) each of said members having a base and a boss; References Clted (f) said boss mating with the end of the shaft; UNI E STATES A EN (g) each of said members having an inwardly directed 3O 1 806 485 5 19131 Mirafuentes 46 61 $2 22??? base Whlch memes A $53, 33; 15322 gstinlo a 32%;; eve an g jjgg fi and and members defimng a 3,377,739 4/1968 lVlichelman et al. 4661 X (i) a source of electrical energy in said chamber; 35 1 (v g g p posltloned adlacent to sald 3,191,344 6/1965 Yagjian 46 228 (k) a first means positioned between said lamp and f q fi 2 2 said source to space apart said lamp and said source; w e man 6 a 1 X and (1) electrical means connecting said incandescent lamp FOREIGN PATENTS to said source. 453,589 4/1913 France. 3. A toy, said toy comprising: (a) a shaft having a first end and a second end; RICHARD PINKHAM, Primary EXamineI' (b) a first member near said first end; I (c) a second member near said second end; ZACK Asslstant Exammer (d) each of said members having a diameter at least U S Cl XR two times the diameter of the shaft; (e) each of said members having a base and a boss; 46228; 273106 (f) said boss mating with the end of the shaft; 

